The SL Green corporation is building a massive new skyscraper, to be called One Vanderbilt, on the block bounded by 42nd, 43rd, Madison & Vanderbilt. As part of that they've spent most of the past 6 months demolishing the buildings on that block-- a collection of 1920s/30s-era 15-20 story office buildings.

The demolition is now down to about the fourth floor, and I'd say that within the next month they'll be down to grade level. Already, though, that means that the windows of Grand Central are no longer blocked from the afternoon sunlight. The result is that at around 5pm these days more sunlight is hitting the Concourse than anyone's seen since probably before WWI. Any photographers out there planning a trip to see GCT, now's the time.

I couldn't remember which block it was on. I remember the Modells and TGIF's. No loss there. I wasn't a member of the Yale Club (I went to Iona, and as far as I know, the Gaels don't HAVE a club LOL). But a friend was a member, and she used to take me there as a guest once in a while. Nice place.

I don't think so. So far as I know the NY scenes for "Cocktail" were shot at a bar called Boxers (now Baker Street) on 63rd/1st.

That was about the most depressing TGI Friday's I've ever seen, by the way.

The only thing I miss from that block are the two old-school Irish bars, Annie Moore's and Patrick Conway's, that were next door to each other on 43rd St. across from the Biltmore Room entrance to GCT.

To bring the thread back on topic- enough of the structures are now gone that you can see GCT from the sidewalk on Madison between 42nd/43rd. It's pretty cool to realize this is a view of the Terminal that nobody's had since before 1920.

Baker Street is the site of the first TGI Friday's. It still has the woodwork and brass railings that were a classic TGI Friday's trademark. Diagonally across the street was Maxwell's Plum, a similar restaurant/ bar.